Macron, Trump return to White House after first day of 'state visit'

By

Sara Shayanian and Daniel Uria

French President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump (R) returned to the White House after visiting Mount Vernon and the gravesite of George Washington. Photo by Andrew Harrer/UPI | License Photo

U.S. President Donald Trump (L), French President Emmanuel Macron (R), U.S. first lady Melania Trump (2nd-R) and French first lady Brigitte Macron plant a tree on the South Lawn of the White House during the first official state visit of Trump's presidency. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo

President Donald Trump (L) and first lady Melania Trump (R) pose with French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd-R) and French first lady Brigitte Macron as they depart the West Wing of the White House. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo

President Donald Trump (2nd-L), French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd-R), U.S. first lady Melania Trump (L) and French first lady Brigitte Macron leave after planting a tree. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo

U.S. first lady Melania Trump (L) U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd-L), French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd-R) and French first lady Brigitte Macron stand for photographers outside the Mansion at the Mount Vernon estate. Photo by Andrew Harrer/UPI | License Photo

U.S. first lady Melania Trump (L) U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd-L), French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd-R) and French first lady Brigitte Macron stand for photographers outside the Mansion at the Mount Vernon estate. Photo by Andrew Harrer/UPI | License Photo

April 23 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron returned to the White House Monday night after the first day of Trump's first official state visit of his presidency.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump and the French president and first lady Brigitte Macron flew back to the White House following a visit to Mount Vernon for a private, official dinner, a tour of the grounds and a visit to the gravesite of former President George Washington.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanderssaid the setting would "serve as a beautiful reminder of France's unique status as America's very first ally going all the way back to the American revolution."

Earlier Monday the four planted a tree, gifted by the Macrons, on the South Lawn of the White House.

Trump and Macron were each handed shovels as they piled dirt on top of the European Sessile Oak sapling, measuring 4.5 feet tall with an estimated age between 5 years old and 10 years old.

Though Trump has hosted a number of foreign leaders at the White House since his inauguration, he hadn't previously held an official state visit -- denoted by the State Department as the highest-ranking visit to the United States in which a guest is offered a room for four days and three nights at Blair House, the president's official guest house.

The "crown jewel" of the visit, a state dinner at the White House, is often a large production that is planned up to two to four months in advance.

Observers say Macron will likely make the case for Trump to stay in the deal, as a May 12 decision deadline looms.

In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Macron suggested it would be a mistake for Trump to withdraw from the pact -- which lifts sanctions against Iran in exchange for a shutdown of Tehran's nuclear weapons program.

"You cannot make a trade war with your allies," Macron said. "It's too complicated if you make war against everybody. You make trade war against China, trade war against Europe, war in Syria, war against Iran, it doesn't work. You need allies."

Since taking office, Trump been critical of the Obama-era deal -- signed in 2015 by Iran, the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia -- saying Tehran got "too much" from the deal for "far too little."

Macron may also try to get assurances from Trump that the United States will not leave Syria until the Islamic State terror group is defeated.